Hip Pain & Injury Physiotherapy in Northampton
Home visits in Northampton for hip arthritis, tendon and bursa pain, groin strains and recovery after a hip fracture — no GP referral needed.
Vidhi Sharma
Specialist Neurological Physiotherapist
- Registration: HCPC PH111536, CSP Member
- Specialisms: neurological and stroke rehabilitation, falls prevention, elderly and post-operative rehabilitation
- Phone: 07858 700 126
- Please mention Mobile Physiotherapist.co.uk when you call
- Email: vidhi.d3@gmail.com
Hip pain treated at home in Northampton
Hip pain in Northampton is one of the most common reasons people look for a physiotherapist and never get round to booking one. It builds slowly, it is easy to put down to age, and by the time it is waking you at night or making the stairs a problem it has usually been going on for months. Most hip pain responds well to the right loading programme, and it does not need a hospital appointment to start.
Waiting lists for hip problems are long, and the wait is rarely neutral — people walk less, avoid stairs, and lose the strength that makes the eventual treatment work better. Starting rehabilitation while you wait is usually the most useful thing you can do with that time.
Hip problems we see most often
Hip osteoarthritis
Stiffness first thing in the morning, groin pain that can travel to the thigh or knee, and a walking distance that has quietly been shrinking. Strengthening and graded activity are the first-line treatment and the evidence for them is good.
Gluteal tendinopathy and trochanteric bursitis
Pain over the bony point on the outside of the hip, worse lying on that side at night, climbing stairs or standing on one leg. Often mislabelled as arthritis, and it needs a very different loading programme.
Hip impingement and labral irritation
Pinching groin pain at the end of range — deep squatting, getting in and out of the car, sitting for long periods. More common in younger and more active people.
Groin, hip flexor and adductor strains
Usually a clear moment of injury, or a sudden increase in activity. Recovery depends far more on graded loading than on rest.
Pain referred from the lower back
Buttock pain, pain travelling below the knee, or pins and needles. This is not a hip problem at all, and treating it as one is why some people make no progress for months.
After a hip fracture or a fall
Rebuilding walking, balance and confidence, which is largely work that happens after hospital discharge and continues well beyond it.
Hip, or back? They are not the same problem
A large share of "hip pain" turns out not to be the hip joint at all, and this is the most common reason people spend months doing exercises that were never going to help. As a rough guide:
- Groin pain, sometimes referring into the front of the thigh or as far as the knee, points to the hip joint itself.
- Pain over the bony point on the outside of the hip, worse lying on that side, points to the gluteal tendons and bursa — not the joint.
- Buttock pain travelling below the knee, or pins and needles and numbness, usually points to the lower back.
These three need genuinely different treatment, so the first appointment is spent working out which one you have before any programme is written.
What the first visit involves
- A proper conversation about how the pain behaves — when it started, what makes it worse, how it affects sleep, and what you have stopped doing because of it
- Assessment of hip movement, strength, balance and walking, plus a check of the lower back where the picture is unclear
- A look at the stairs, chair and bed you actually use, which is the practical advantage of being assessed at home
- A short, specific exercise programme matched to what your hip currently tolerates — not a generic sheet
- A straight answer about what is going on, roughly how long it should take, and whether anything needs a GP or consultant opinion
Treatment and how long it takes
Most hip rehabilitation is progressive strengthening, because the hip is a joint that responds to load and gets worse with avoidance. Alongside that, treatment usually includes hands-on work where it helps, advice on pacing and on how to sleep more comfortably, walking and stairs practice, and adjustments to the everyday movements that keep aggravating things.
Many hip problems improve meaningfully over six to twelve weeks. Long-standing tendon problems are slower and are honestly measured in months. Appointments usually start weekly or fortnightly and spread out as the programme takes hold — you are not asked to commit to a block of sessions before anyone knows what is wrong.
Already had a hip replacement?
This page is about hip pain that has not been operated on. If you have had a hip or knee replaced and want help with the recovery — walking, stairs, swelling and getting strength back — the hip and knee replacement rehab page for Northampton covers that instead.
Home visits across Northampton
Vidhi visits homes right across Northampton — Kingsthorpe, Duston, Abington, Weston Favell, Far Cotton, Hardingstone, Wootton, Moulton and the town centre. If you have been seen at Northampton General Hospital, or you are waiting on a fracture clinic or orthopaedic appointment, she can work alongside that rather than instead of it, and will say plainly if she thinks you need a medical review first.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a referral or a scan before physiotherapy?
No. You can book directly, and most hip pain is diagnosed from your history and a physical assessment rather than a scan. Imaging matters when it would change the treatment — if Vidhi thinks you need it, or that your symptoms need a GP or consultant opinion, she will tell you.
Is my pain coming from my hip or my back?
This is the single most common mix-up. True hip joint pain is usually felt in the groin and can refer to the front of the thigh or the knee. Pain over the bony point on the side is more often the tendons and bursa. Pain in the buttock that travels below the knee, or comes with pins and needles, is more likely to be coming from the lower back. The assessment separates these, because they need different treatment.
Can physiotherapy help arthritis, or is surgery the only answer?
Hip osteoarthritis responds well to strengthening and activity, and the evidence for exercise is strong enough that it is recommended before surgery is considered. It will not reverse the joint changes, but it commonly reduces pain and improves how far and how comfortably you walk. Some people improve enough to postpone surgery; others go into an operation stronger, which helps recovery.
I am waiting for a hip replacement. Is it worth starting now?
Yes, and this is one of the best uses of a waiting list. Going into surgery with better strength, balance and confidence on stairs reliably makes the recovery afterwards easier. Vidhi can also get the practical things sorted in advance — how you will manage the stairs and the bed, and what equipment is worth having ready.
How many appointments will I need?
Most people are seen every one to two weeks at first, then less often as the programme takes hold. Many hip problems settle over six to twelve weeks, though long-standing tendon problems take longer. Vidhi will give you an honest estimate after the first assessment rather than committing you to a block up front.
Do you visit at home in Northampton?
Yes — every appointment is a home visit across Northampton and the surrounding villages. That means the assessment happens on your actual stairs, your actual chair and your actual bed, which for a hip problem is far more useful than a clinic plinth.